Captive Grace
by shinsetsu
Summary: FFXII vignettes, focusing mostly on Basch and Ashe. [spoilers][Ashe x Basch] 9 [Sway] changes the rating, it also introduces a secondary slash pairing.
1. The Lady's Name

**The Lady's Name **

"I do not like my name." The statement had surprised him. His young charge rarely spoke to him on these walks she insisted on going on. Usually she asked him to walk some distance behind her so she could feel less like she was being followed.

"My lady?" She gave him a look that, on another person might have been scathing, but from the young princess appeared petulant.

"I want you to call me Lady Amalia, Basch." Upon saying this she gave him a rather pointed look that said quite plainly she wanted him to say something.

"Amalia? That is not so different from your given name, my lady." She gave him another of her looks that bordered on pouting.

"It does not need to be 'so different.' It only need not be Ashelia." This was punctuated with a defiant inclination of her head, as if daring him to continue questioning her.

"I do not understand the problem with the name Ashelia. I've always thought it to be quite lovely." He wasn't sure why he was pressing the issue, it was, in general, best to simply humour the princess when she was in one of her moods; perhaps her sudden interest in conversation had intrigued him.

"I… do not want to be associated with ashes. They are ugly, dead things and I wish that no one would think of them when they call me." He stopped her here, with a gentle hand (free of its gauntlet) placed on her head and knelt at her side.

"Have you considered, young one, that when the people see or hear of ashes that they might think of you? Perhaps you, and your name, have made something ugly and dead into something beautiful."

She lowered her eyes, biting down gently on her lower lip as if in thought, then she asked, "Is that how you feel, Basch?"

He could not tell her that he was a soldier, that until this conversation he had never had cause to think of ashes as anything but a symbol of dead things and yet it pained him to be dishonest with her.

"I will never feel otherwise, my lady." He settled on a half-truth that would neither hurt her nor be an outright lie.

"Will you call me Ashe then?"

She was looking up at him shyly, with such a look of hope in her soft blue eyes that he couldn't bring himself to say anything else: "As you wish, Lady Ashe."

* * *

**Author's Note:** The first of what I hope will be a set of drabbles for FFXII.


	2. Occasional Allowances

**Occasional Allowances **

Sometimes, when she wasn't overly busy or too tired to think, she missed them. Being princess, and later queen, was much lonelier without her father or Rasler or any of her knights around. She often found herself handling matters of great importance alone and questioning her decisions – always afraid that she would somehow hurt the fragile kingdom that was now hers to rule and protect.

When the loneliness and fear were at their worst, she would think of her friends and let herself miss them. Of exchanging barbs (and kinder words) with the quick-witted Balthier or Fran's quiet wisdom; the Veira's words, while sometimes harsh, were always welcome when she had felt lost or unsure of her own feelings.

She would think of Vaan and Penelo playfully arguing or their amazement at something she had found most common. When she thought of them, of their open, caring personalities and the sincerity of their concern for their friends it was with a wistful longing. Openness and sincerity were rare commodities on the political stage.

She thought of none of them as often as she did Basch. He was always first on her mind when her circumstances had her feeling lost; there had been days, hard days, when she had wished desperately that he was there with her. She dearly missed his silent support and willingness to stand by her, even when she was making the wrong choices.

She found herself wishing he was there to ask advice of, his was often given with a gentleness and good humour that made her feel less ashamed than Fran's occasionally harsh or indifferent words. He had become the closest to a confidant that she would allow herself to have as well; often listening to her patiently, without passing judgement. Patience was something that was in short supply around her and she fiercely missed Basch's near endless reserve of it.

Part of her hated the weaknesses she was finding in herself every time she thought wistfully of having him - or any of them - around, but she could not deny that he had been her rock during one of the most difficult experiences in her life. She had learned to rely on them and now she had to learn again to rely only upon herself. It was not easy and she could not stop her thoughts from drifting to Basch and the others, so she made these occasional allowances.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Not meant to be romantic, just to take a deeper look at what Basch might mean to Ashe, because SE didn't really show us much of them interacting. 


	3. Warrior's Understanding

**Warrior's Understanding **

Fran and Basch have an understanding. When the party travels through monster infested areas, one of them is always on point, watching for anything dangerous ahead, while the other will drift to the back of the small group, acting as a rear guard; making sure nothing can easily attack them from behind.

If he were leading a detachment of the Order, he would put Fran on point and have her stay there. Her heightened senses make it far easier to detect upcoming threats than his weaker, Hume ones. He would always be at the back, even if he didn't notice a monster coming from behind, he would be able to recover more easily from the initial attack, being of a stronger constitution.

This was not a detachment of the Order and that was not how things worked.

There is a clause to their understanding. Wherever the princess is, is where Basch will be. Should she drift from the front of their ranks to the back, Basch will follow. At any time when she may be in danger, Basch will be at her side.

Fran does not mind this shifting of positions. It gives her the opportunity to check on Balthier. Her partner tends to like being in the thick of things and she often finds him near the centre of their group; in this drifting between the front and the back she is able to spend some moments watching him more carefully, gauging his physical and mental well being, that she might address any problems when the party has stopped for the evening.

Should there be a battle, relative positions are abandoned. Basch will stand with his princess and Fran with her partner, aiding the others or one another as need be but with a definite sense of priority. There can be no other way. Everything Basch has fought and suffered for relies on Ashelia's safety. Fran has little in life if she does not have her partner.

They both realise deeply that these attachments and loyalties they've formed will be fleeting. Basch will forever love Dalmasca and forever be loyal to its liege but he knows that it will not be easy to clear his name and it's probable that he will not be able to serve Her Majesty again. Fran knows she will outlive her partner, that there will come a day when this world they have created will be no more and she will have to find another reason and another place to be.

Fran and Basch understand the need to protect, to put all their talent as warriors into the defence of something precious while they still can. They understand that there will be an end to this time when they can be of use to the ones they respect most but that end need not come before its time.

Fran and Basch have a warrior's understanding.

* * *

**Author's Note: **It seemed to me that Basch and Fran (and sometimes Penelo) had the best grasp on the dangers of their situation. So I figured, what if that's because they're going out of their way to watch over the others? Seemed in character to me, so here it is.


	4. Final Destination

**Final Destination **

He'd been unhappy. Larsa had seen it right away and for nearly two years watched Basch go about his duties as Judge Magister Gabranth with a listlessness that had never been present when he served Dalmasca. Larsa was not by any means lacking in intelligence. He recognised the homesickness and abided by it for as long as he could force himself to do so.

Larsa's kind heart and strong sense of justice would not allow him to keep Basch where he was. Noah's dying wish had been more than fulfilled, Larsa was well loved by his people and had been slowly earning the trust of other countries, he was in no grave danger and his sense of justice demanded that the wrongs the empire had done Basch be righted.

It had not been easy to make the speech about the empire's wrongs two years after his brother's death and the end of that piece of Archades' history. It had lost him some of the Dalmascans' goodwill. Ashe's speech, following his own had done little to ease the situation and may have lost her some of the support of her people. For the most part though, the people listened when they were entreated to give Basch the opportunity to prove himself loyal to Dalmasca, as Ashe and Larsa knew him to be.

Basch had protested the whole way through, told them over and over that they need not make any sacrifices for his sake. He had not been silenced until Ashe had turned to him and told him that he had more of a right to be in Dalmasca than even she and if she was not as well liked because she chose to return his loyalty to her, then she could abide some unpopularity.

Basch, unwilling to further upset Her Majesty, had kept silent until the people demanded he speak for himself. He said little, defended himself only against the worst of accusations, and was generally very self-deprecating. The entire affair had been extremely awkward for him until a single person started clapping, a second joined him and then a third and fourth (who both cheered for him as well). All the people that had been afraid to show support for him before joined Balthier and the others.

More than half of those present were willing to give him a chance; Ashe and Larsa had not lost all that much support. The relief was nearly crushing. The elation that he could finally, _finally_ return home nearly brought him to his knees. Ashe's hand on his arm returned his equilibrium. His queen gave him a teary smile and a whispered, "Welcome home," and Basch's world finally felt _right_ again.

* * *

**Author's Note:** The happy ending that Basch so richly deserves (and the author wanted so badly for him to have).

I want to thank my reviewers here. I was a little worried about how my vignettes might be taken. Thanks to HelpComputah for telling me the right word for my fics. I knew they weren't really drabbles but I could not, for the life of me, think of the right word.


	5. Idle Conversation

**Idle Conversation **

She hadn't expected to see him here. She didn't know why, Larsa was there, surely he would bring his personal guard with him but she still hadn't been expecting it. Or maybe she hadn't been ready for it. It had hurt her when he chose to go to Archades as Larsa's protector. She knew it was easiest for them all politically (she refused to say best) and that he was fulfilling his brother's last wish but some part of her had still expected him to remain at her side, to be her protector (even if she didn't feel that she needed a protector). He hadn't and it hurt.

She didn't like seeing him like this; wearing a Judge Magister's armour, his hair cut short like Gabranth's had been. He didn't feel like Basch to her anymore and she found that that hurt, too. Hurt the same way hearing of his supposed betrayal had. She wished she could deny this the way she had initially denied the accusation that he killed her father. She felt like a little girl again. Maybe if she closed her eyes it would go away.

But she didn't close her eyes. She was Queen Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca and she had been through much worse than facing a former knight of Dalmasca.

"Basch," He turned quickly, his cape curling sharply behind him. Seeing his face after a year with nearly no word from him made her chest tighten painfully. There were good reasons for the separation; there was a good reason he had left her all alone but she couldn't think of it now.

"My Lady… I am called Gabranth now."

Her throat ached and her eyes burned. He had forsaken his past. He had forsaken her, "You will always be Basch to me."

His eyes slid shut, lips curving in a faint smile but to her, he looked tired; more wasted than she had ever seen him before.

"Thank you, My Lady." He sounded just as tired and so very resigned. She suddenly felt unbearably selfish.

"I… I feel like I should apologise. I have been angry with you." The whole situation was surreal. If he wasn't Basch than she must not be Ashelia and maybe the echo of her apology for not having faith in him shouldn't be repeating in her head but it was and she pushed on.

"You chose to go to Archades but it was not a decision made for yourself. I have been lonely and blaming you for it," her voice caught on the confession but she didn't stop there because she had the crushing feeling that now was all she had.

"I had not realised all the time I fought for Dalmasca... I could not have conceived of the difficulty of standing alone as I have. Dalmasca alone was not my dream but Dalmasca as it had been. My dreams were of a time past, of my father and Rasler," her voice dropped and the burning in her eyes was back, "and you."

"When I was a child I thought I would marry you, that even if father refused to allow it that I could convince you to run away with me." She did not allow it when the tears began to fall, she simply couldn't stop it, "In one manner or another, you have always been a part of my dreams."

She was startled at the feel of cool metal beneath her chin; she hadn't heard him approach although she was sure he had to have made some sound.

He titled her head up with a gentleness she hadn't known since they had all gone their separate ways and her tears fell harder.

"Being strong," she whispered, "is so hard sometimes."

"Ashelia," she trembled at the sound of her name; he had never said it so casually nor with such tenderness, "I will always be here for you, should you need me."

She kissed him then. Leaning up slightly and pressing her mouth as hard against his as she dared. She had expected him to be surprised, to push her away. Instead, he kissed her back. Her tears continued to fall and she could taste them on his lips.

He pulled away from her slowly, hands pressed lightly to her arms to steady her. When she pulled back, he removed the gauntlets and tenderly brushed away the last of her tears. He was always so painfully gentle with her.

After several long moments, he turned silently and started to move away. There was nothing to be said between them now, except the words on her tongue that she couldn't force out. She had sacrificed too much of her pride already this day and even if she could bear to say it, she didn't want to face the consequences of those words.

"Basch!" He stopped and half turned to her, "Your hair. I liked it better before." _I need you._

She was rewarded with the sound of his laughter and an amused, "I will keep that in mind, Majesty."

She cried again that night when she was alone, for the feelings she had not known existed and because she could never tell him that she needed him.

* * *

**Author's Note: **My birthday gift to myself: heartbreaking Ashe x Basch. Fixed the one grammatical error because I'm obsessive-compulsive like that. 


	6. Divide

**Divide**

It had been more than three years since Basch had last slept well. It was not easy for him to get to sleep to begin with; he lay awake every night wondering if he had made the right decision, trying to reconcile his divided loyalties. He worried, too. Were young Vaan and Penelo all right or had they found more trouble as sky pirates than they were prepared to handle? Had Balthier and Fran finally found themselves in a situation that Balthier couldn't talk his way out of or Fran couldn't save them from? Was Ashelia all right? She was strong but ruling a country without assistance was an incredible burden. Had he been wrong to leave her alone?

Sleep, when he finally managed to achieve it, was no better. Memories more horrible than any nightmare his mind might conjure played through his mind. The faces of all the people he had failed were a consistent feature of his not-dreams; his mother, Lord Rasler, King Raminas, Reks, even Vossler and Zecht. And Noah. Memories of Landis and his brother's betrayals, unable to be forgotten, tormented him. Two years worth of interrogations and torture that was not nearly as horrible as the realisation of his failures; of the realisation that he had left young Ashelia to fight alone.

In all this there were still nightmares, nightmares of failing Lord Larsa as he failed King Raminas; nightmares of Ashelia falling, of being needed and not there. Those were the worst. Basch could handle the past, could push it away in order to fulfil his present duties but the future was something he had no knowledge of, no means of preventing the harm that could come to the two lieges he could not choose between.

In the mornings, when he'd awakened from a nightmare, especially one of Ashelia, Basch would hate his brother. He hated that he could not go home, could not protect his oath sworn country and liege; hated that he felt responsible to and for Lord Larsa, that he could not leave Archades any more than he could forget Dalmasca. He hated that he could not make himself believe that either choice was the right one and one way or another someone would be left alone. More than anything, he hated that after all the times he had failed her, he _wanted_ to be at Ashelia's side. Basch never hated Noah as much as he hated himself.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Belated thanks for the happy birthday. I guess it's kinda easy to see my priorities. Good fic Birthday. In response to the question of writing a longer fic, the vignettes have always been practice for a longer fic I hope to write. I make no promises but my intention has always been to write an epic along the lines of Final Destination with all the political drama and angst that the plot would deserve. 


	7. Long Live the Queen

**Long Live the Queen **

**.i. **

The news had been unexpected. He'd allowed himself to believe that she was strong, that everything would be all right; he'd allowed himself to be foolishly, childishly optimistic. He was keeping the promise he made to his brother (what about his promise to the man that was more a brother to him than Noah had ever been?); he was protecting the child-emperor that was supposed to be integral to peace in their little part of Ivalice. Should the world not be peaceful?

There was no peace. For Basch, there never would be again.

Another failure of many, none of the others had felt like this. He knew when Landis fell he had fought as hard as he could. He knew when Lord Rasler died that he had been trying to protect him; he knew when King Raminas died that he had been trying to protect him. Basch knew he was given to failure but he had never before failed for lack of trying.

He should have been there. If he had followed his heart and not his head, he would have been.

Queen Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca was dead. And he could have prevented it.

**.ii.**

There was no question that Basch blamed himself for the successful assassination of Ashe. What most people didn't know was that Larsa blamed himself just as much. He should not have allowed Basch to stay in Archades. Larsa had guardians, soldiers that were loyal to him and would protect him. All Ashe had had was herself and the new recruits. When the palace at Rabanastre was infiltrated by former Archadian soldiers, who had years and years more experience than any member of the Dalmascan army, there was little question as to their chance for success.

Ashelia herself was the biggest threat to them. She'd killed three of the four men before taking a blade through the throat. The last man killed himself afterwards, knowing that there was no chance for his escape with the commotion made during the fight. This knowledge didn't comfort Larsa, it infuriated him. The selfishness of those men had taken the slowly-closing rift between Archades and the rest of Ivalice and torn it wide open. The Dalmascans, civilian and soldier alike, attacked anyone from Archades that attempted to enter the country. An amateur army had sacked several small, outlying towns on the borders. What they lacked in experience they made up for with righteous fury.

The peace Larsa and Ashe had fought so hard for was crumbling. Her dreams for Dalmasca crushed as surely as her delicate neck.

His tears though were not for the failing peace. They were for the woman that had been helping him uphold it. And Larsa vowed not to let her dreams die without a fight.

**.iii.**

Fran had told him that the world was weeping. Balthier had been confused until he sought out one of his contacts and found out that Ashe had been killed. He'd gone to the nearest tavern after hearing about it. He returned to the inn he was staying at with Fran some hours later, carefully calm until the door to their room closed. Then he screamed, enraged and half wild. He slammed his fist into the wall and it very nearly went through it. This was not supposed to be happening; this was not what they'd fought for. And irrationally, Balthier blamed Basch. Basch was supposed to protect her; he was supposed to make sure this didn't happen.

Fran's cool hands covering his own cooled his rage. She talked to him softly in words he didn't hear because he was too busy listening to the sorrow in her voice. He laid his head on her chest as she spoke and cried. He could deny it when he was sober, pretend he'd never lost control or been attached enough to the princess to do so. Fran's long, slender fingers ran through his hair soothingly and he knew he wouldn't need to deny it because Fran would never question him.

Balthier and Fran both wept that night; one openly, the other in a way that only another Viera could recognise. And they healed as they always did – together.

**.iv.**

Vaan and Penelo were in Bhujerba when they heard. They both wept, openly and without care for what the other would think, this was not the first time they had cried together and it would not be the last. They held each other as they had so many times before and let their pain out in the best way they knew how.

After the tears had all be cried, they returned to Dalmasca. They couldn't do much but they could comfort the friends they'd left behind and maybe ease the tensions on the streets a little. They were familiar to and well liked by many of the citizens of Rabanastre and while they couldn't do anything about the hatred and violence towards Archades, they tried to keep the people of Rabanastre from becoming violent with each other. It was all they could think to do for Ashe, who would have hated to see her people in such a state of disunity.

Marquis Ondore had promised them they would be admitted to her funeral. It was a small comfort that they would be able to see her one last time but it was a comfort. It was also a comfort that they knew would be denied to Larsa… and Basch. Penelo worried about him the entire time she and Vaan were in Rabanastre. Vaan hadn't understood her concern but he did his best to allay it anyway.

Vaan and Penelo mourned their queen together and with the people they suffered through the Imperial occupation with. And they did what they could to comfort the people of Dalmasca in her name.

**.v. **

Balthier and Fran had shown up for Ashe's funeral, too. The four sky pirates had stood together as the queen they called friend was laid to rest. They spent the rest of the day in The Sandsea, reminiscing and very carefully avoiding the subject of Basch. Fran was the one to finally lose patience with dancing around the topic and point blank told the others they should visit Larsa and Basch.

It was several days before they actually left. Balthier would wonder later if Basch would have been any different if they had gone sooner. Penelo would hold Larsa when he cried and would valiantly resist tears herself. Fran would be the only one courageous enough to try speaking to him, she would get no response. Vaan would finally understand why Penelo had worried.

And Basch would eventually waste away in the cell he was put in for his own safety. He had survived two years of torture on only the knowledge that she was safe. He had survived the desperate journey to restore Dalmasca on the knowledge that he could protect her. He had born their separation with the knowledge that she was strong and that he was helping her by helping Larsa. He had survived all this with his sanity intact because of his devotion to her.

He could not survive the knowledge that he had chosen not to protect her.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I wanted to write something happy this time but that didn't quite work out. Maybe next time. This actually came about because I was wondering how Basch would handle Ashe dying after he refused to go back to Dalmasca. This is just one extreme option that I thought would be fun to explore.

On the topic of a confrontation between Ashe and Basch concerning his weaknesses, well, I could write an entire essay about my thoughts on the matter but it could most easily be summed up by saying at the end of the game, Ashe seems to have accepted that all people have weaknesses, even her. She might use the weakness card to bolster herself in a confrontation but I don't think she would think less of him for having them.


	8. Absolution

**Absolution **

Sleeping in the Yensa Sandsea was much like sleeping in the Paramina Rift. With most of the party dressed for the daylight heat, it was necessary for them to share sleeping space at night. Ashe usually awoke to find herself curled around Penelo, the smaller girl tucked against her side and sleeping soundly despite the shifting of her ill at ease 'bed mate.'

Ashelia had only had to share sleeping space once in her lifetime and it had been something she was all too happy to do at the time. Her current situation was not nearly as pleasant and would not allow for the luxury of separate sleeping arrangements under the best of conditions much less in the near freezing cold of the desert nights. Still, she might have preferred Fran as her partner simply for the reason that Penelo liked to cuddle and Ashe was not quite comfortable with the closeness being forced on her. Penelo was her only option, however, as Balthier refused to share his partner with anyone (he had offered to share himself with the other women, however, and been the recipient of four angry looks from his compatriots; Fran had laughed at him) and Ashelia would, circumstances permitting, not do something so improper as sleep next to a man (or boy, as the case may be) that she was not married to.

She was about to attempt to make herself comfortable and return to sleep when she caught sight of Vaan shivering a few feet away. Balthier and Fran were lying curled around one other nearby but Basch was no where to be seen. She lay where she was for several moments, hoping he had just… needed a few minutes to himself and would return. Her valiant attempt to keep herself from worrying failed when, after what she counted to be nearly twenty minutes he had not come back to their camp.

She hated worrying over him but she could not help herself, especially now that she was so sure he did not commit the crimes of which he had been accused. But even the first time she saw him, furious as she was, there was a tiny seed of worry deep in her heart. She had never seen him so thin or worn looking, Basch had always been the epitome of strength to her and yet he had looked wasted on the Leviathan. This was to say nothing of the scars on his body or the worn look in his eyes. She knew she would dream of the haunted look in those eyes long after Basch had passed from this world.

She gently detangled herself from Penelo, then after a moment of deliberation woke Vaan and sent him to keep the younger girl warm. Unsure of where to begin looking and mostly blind in the dark, she grabbed a few small pieces of extra wood collected to make that night's fire (now nothing but faintly glowing embers) and cast fire on them to make a make-shift torch. Then with the light in one hand and her sword in the other she began walking. Knowing Basch would be within earshot she only went a short distance before turning, intending to walk the camp in a wide circle. She didn't have far to go.

Basch was standing with his back to her, facing the camp. He had chosen a place where he could still see the camp by the embers of the fire and yet far enough from the glow that he could not be seen. She wondered if that was what he had intended or if he had left while the fire still burned. Her stomach turned at the idea of him spending so much of the night alone in the dark, cold desert.

He acknowledged her presence with a soft, "Majesty."

"Is your watch not over, Basch?" The fragile quality of his voice frightened her away from demanding that he tell her what he thought he was doing.

"Forgive me for my boldness, Majesty, but we both know you are not here to discuss whose watch it is." He was still speaking in that strange tone and she found herself disliking it immensely.

"You were not at the camp. I," she tried to force a lie about why she had come looking for him but found herself unable to do so, "was worried."

"My apologies for worrying you, Majesty," his voice was whispery thin and he still hadn't turned to face her, "I am fine. You should return to camp and rest."

"You do not sound 'fine' to me," she was sorely tempted to snap at him but she could already feel him closing himself off to her. She thought weakness distasteful but she thought Basch being beyond her reach more distasteful.

"I apologise again for giving you cause for concern but I assure you, I am quite well and equally undeserving of your worry."

She dropped the torch, sheathed her sword and went to him. Placing a hand gently against his arm she said, "You spoke to me openly once, Basch, will you not do so again?"

"That was a long time ago, Majesty, and much has changed."

Her fingers left his arm and trailed gently over the scar on his forehead. "Yes. Much has changed and yet you and I still stand together."

"Do we, Majesty?" Realisation made her tense, muscles tightening in response to the shame that washed over her.

"I… I am so very sorry, Basch. I know now that you are not the one that killed my father. I should have known all along. My faith in you should never have faltered. And Vossler… I understand, now, too. That I could have forgiven him, as you did, when I had the chance…"

"You were right to not have faith in me. You cannot be held responsible for knowledge you did not have," he paused here and she finally understood what made his voice so soft, "Vossler was true to Dalmasca, he did only what he thought best for his country."

He was grieving and in his grief all the sorrow, remorse, and guilt he had buried in the name of protecting her had been brought to the fore. Shame filled her again as the understanding of the suffering Basch had endured was made plain. She slid her arms around his waist, fingers locking over his stomach and she hugged him for all she was worth because she could think of nothing else to do. She wanted to hate them both for this sharing of weakness and for herself, the hatred was there but for Basch there was nothing but sorrow. To survive as he had, he surely had strength that she did not.

She whispered another apology into his shoulder when she felt one of his hands cover hers.

"Do not apologise to me, Majesty. I cannot forgive something I do not feel was wrong."

Her only response was to tighten her grip. She stood with him in silence the rest of the night. The next night, and all those that followed she slept at his side. Their circumstances would allow for nothing else.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I really wanted to see Ashe telling Basch that she had faith in him in the game. It was so integral to their ability to work together as a cohesive team that excluding it seemed very off to me.

As for Basch killing himself in Long Live the Queen, that was my original intent. When I got to thinking about it though, I didn't think Basch would just abandon Larsa but I didn't think he could live with the knowledge of not taking the chance to be with her, either. My conclusion: insanity. The ending was meant to imply that Basch had lost his mind.


	9. Sway

**Sway **

She leaned forward, trying to keep him close as he pulled away. When this didn't work she pulled back, dropping her head on his bare chest with a sort of frustrated resignation that he chose to ignore. Every time they were together it happened this way and she was finally losing patience with his inability to be decisive about their relationship.

"Do you not love me, Basch?" She knew the question would wound him but it had to be asked.

"You would ask me this, though I am here?" The lack of emotion in his voice proved her expectations but she could not allow the situation to continue as it had.

"Yes, you are here and yet I always feel as if you wish you were not," he made to respond here and she silenced him, placing the tips of her fingers over his lips, "I know your concerns. I know that we are behaving dishonourably but I feel that perhaps this bothers you more than it should."

"It is more than the dishonour of having such impure feelings towards my queen. We are committing adultery, Ashelia. Should you bear my child; the people will know that it is not your king's."

"I also have fair hair and eyes, Basch. Some may know, some may suspect but none would question. And do you know, my love, whose bed my husband is in right now? Perhaps you should ask your Emperor just where it is Al-Cid disappears to during these… visits."

"This does not…"

"My marriage to Rasler was a blessing to someone of royal blood. We must marry for alliances and political power and we do. We do this for the sake of our people and the peace between our countries. Does this mean we should not be permitted love? We barely see each other, Basch. We have not put the people in peril for our affair, should we not enjoy what little time is given to us?"

"I understand this and yet I cannot make myself believe that it is justified," in contrast to his words, he tightened his grip on her hip, as if to keep her from pulling away.

"Is it what we are doing that troubles you, Basch? Or is it your own heart? Do you truly believe that your love for me is so impure that even though it is entirely common for any ruler in Ivalice to have multiple lovers, we are committing a greater crime than they?"

His response was a soft, harsh whisper, "Ashe."

"Then this is the heart of the problem. I love you, Basch. I want you here. In my eyes, you have committed no crime for returning my affection. Can you not see that even as I am queen, I am no less woman for being so? Royalty is not divinity, though I believed this so in my youth."

"You should belong to your people. It is selfish for me to covet you as I do."

"I do belong to my people. I do not languish in suffering when we are apart, I do not allow them to come to harm in your name, should I be forced to choose between you and my kingdom then that is no choice at all. You and I are given a handful of nights together every few months, I cherish them but I do not put my kingdom at risk to have them. You have not taken me or any of my love from Dalmasca; you only share in that love."

His thumb had begun to run gently over the sensitive flesh of her hip, "I should hope that you do not love all of Dalmasca as you do me," she could hear the smile in his voice when he spoke and she knew she had set his mind at ease – at least for the remainder of his stay in Dalmasca.

"If it would bring you to my bed more easily than perhaps I should," she responded tartly.

He chuckled at this and her lips curved up in a smile. She had always found his patience with her temper endearing, if not frustrating at times, and was encouraged by his change in temperament to attempt another kiss.

"I am going to kiss you again, Basch. Should you pull away this time, I will chain you to this bed and you will be lucky if you are free by morning."

He laughed again but when she pressed her lips to his, he allowed her to control and end the kiss as she pleased. She never told him that she had been deadly serious about chaining him up if she did not get what she wanted; there were things that he simply needn't know.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Like Al-Cid and Larsa having sex. Don't panic anyone, this is set at least 8 years after the game.

Well, this one comes from the fact that so many people in positions of power do have extra-marital affairs. I think the rule of thumb is if you don't get caught, no one is going to give you hell about it. Also, Basch is totally Ashe's sub.


End file.
